When all is said and done, whenever, how will you think of Kobe Bryant?

Steve Aschburner: As great as he’s been and remains, Bryant has it tough. He’s spectacular — but he’s not an original, because no one lugged the next-Michael-Jordan load more than him (and he courted it, with all those patterned mannerisms). His first three titles were Shaq-driven, which dims them just a tiny bit in relation to others on the Great Winners list. And now he’s in twilight at a time when someone else (LeBron James) already is moving up in GOAT discussions, squeezing Bryant from this side of Y2K. One of the greatest ever, lethal scorer and a Top 10 player on my all-time list. But he’s not cracking Top 5 and he’s a reserve, not a starter, at shooting guard.

Fran Blinebury: One word: Defiant. Defiant as a teenager. Defiant in the face of Shaq. Defiant to a double-team or a triple-team. Defiant in the fourth quarter. Defiant in the last second. Defiant in the good times. Defiant in the bad times. Defiant now in the twilight. Michael Jordan at his peak was embraceable. Never Kobe. Just defiantly brilliant.

Jeff Caplan: What ways are left to describe Kobe Bryant? The Black Mamba is a cold-blooded killer. Simple as that. The closest we’ve come to seeing Michael Jordan reincarnated. You never knew when he’ll go off for 40 or 50 or 80. An extreme competitor whose fierceness is unrivaled. One of the rare athletes that can take over a game as the best player at either end of the floor.

Scott Howard-Cooper: For the determination and confidence that is his greatest gift and biggest detriment. Kobe Bryant had great talent, but made himself a great player because he refused to be outworked, on the court and with preparation. The confidence? Bryant was never a selfish player, per se. He was a skilled passer from the outset. But he always believed himself with such an absolute certainty that he knew, just knew, that no one else had as good a chance to deliver. Same with the early strained relationships within the locker room. He refused to fall in line and be a little brother. He is stubborn that way. Which is good and bad.

John Schuhmann: I don’t think there’s a simple way to answer that question. There’s no doubt that he is the best combination of talent and drive (to be the best in the game) that we’ve seen since Michael Jordan. He played a big role in five championships and once scored 81 points in a game, so the guy will have a tremendous legacy when he leaves this league. On the other hand, he was sometimes a selfish gunner who ignored his teammates for the sake of his own glory. He is a complicated man, that Kobe Bean Bryant.

Sekou Smith: He’ll go down as one of the greatest to play the game. The perfect player? Not exactly. But the perfect competitor? Absolutely. The list of absolute cutthroat competitors who wanted to win above all else, no matter how that desire manifested itself in his play, is a short one and Kobe has to be on it. In fact, he’d have to be in the top three or four on my list. He didn’t need to reach 30,000 points for me to recognize him as one of the greatest scorers the league has seen. But time will be most likely give us a better appreciation of Kobe’s game than we have of it right now. It’s hard to give a guy his proper respect when you watch him on a nightly basis in this hypercritical era. But Kobe will go down as one of the best to ever do it. Top five on most people’s list and in everyone’s top 10.

Any intelligent person looking at Kobe’s total playoff numbers during those 3 title runs with Shaq would not say that “Shaq got Kobe those rings”.

Simply put, Shaq dominated the interior, Kobe dominated the perimeter. And for the record, Kobe faced tougher competition in the back court than Shaq faced in the front court. Shaq had a cake walk at center all 3 of those rings, he should have dominated,

I’m so sick of hearing how Shaq got gim 3 titles etc… Ofc at that time Lakers were all about Shaq. It was team build around him. Kobe was just a brat from HS that had potential to be a Shaqs Pippen at best. The way he was able to develop himself thru time is AMAZING. I wonder if MJ would have shine that much as he did if he had player as dominant as Shaq in Bulls. Would all the team strategy be still all around MJ? Really doub it. But we can never know so arguing whos best individual in a team sport is pointless. Its not a 100m run that when someone holds WR you can say hes best. They both great. They both role models.

People always want to talk about Jordans scoring without mentioning his shot attempts. Jordans fga’s per game are the highest since Elgin Baylor, and just barely lower than Baylor’s. Jordan was not a better scorer than Kobe, he just shot more.

There’s no discussion Jordan was better than Kobe even though Kobe is great. And Kobe in his prime was better than lebron in his prime. 30 ppg for Jordan even though he took off in his prime for 1.5 seasons. That could’ve raised his ppg to 32 if he played really well. And Kobe is a much much much better shooter then lebron James.

You guys should stop mentioning MJ with Kobe:
6 rings Kobe 5 (2 still to come)
6 MVP finals Kobe 2 MVP
5 MVP season Kobe 1 MVP
Never lost a final game Kobe lost 2.
MJ took a break 2 seasons and was able to break all the records.
Kobe is great but no one is MJ.
he’s will to one is unmatchable! You can regroup lebron Kobe, magic bird still they won’t match his airness!

kobe will be compared and deemed as the next jordan no matter what anyone says….99 percent of his game he got from jordan..( please youtube it)…he tried to walk like him,,, run a team like him…even talk like him in his early years….he was trying to be the next jordan…..name another player whose is this identical to another player..style, play,, mannerisms….its actually impressive but weve seen someone like kobe….kobe skill set on offense is a lil better..the notion jordan was just a scorer is crazy…look at early jordan numbers and youll see he was putting up bron numbers and better….before he retired his average was 31 6 and 6……now its 30.. 6….5 and 2.3 steals and almsot a block a game…..MJ AVERAGED 32 8 AND 8 for a season NOT EVEN BRON CAN DO THAT…..oh and about 3 steals a game…….kobe is great for this era but he wasnt the clear favorite when you had a primed SHAQ DUNCAN AND LEBRON AND MAYBE FOR A FEW SEASONS GARNETT, NASH, WADE,,,,hes always one of the best but there was NO DENYING who was the best in the 90s….and to carry a LEAGUE on his back the way MJ i dont think kobe could have done that….HE MIGHT EVEN BE THE BEST LAKER YET.

All the players everyone has mentioned in response to this post are some of the greatest players that played in the NBA. The world I agree from a specific perspective. Fact there are countless NBA player tales of players from their respective locals, that they themselves know was by far superior too them as basketball players. Playground legends are players that did not play NBA ball for countless reasons. But can, could, and did bust professional players backsides on any given day. Three things separate K B and M J. 1. The discipline of three years under the tutelage of coach Dean Smith. If you are astute about the sport of basketball, I need not expound further. 2. M J’s exploits internationalized the sport of basketball. That event has already transpired. No matter how good anyone comes after M J that legacy can not be matched. 3. No disrespect too the prodigious, athletic skill of K B, or his durability. But M J’s was on or near Julius Erving, Dominique Wilkins, and David Thompson levels as far as athleticism. Pure basketball skill set, not many can match K B. So I say you guys are unfairly criticizing/judging K B. A guy who provided us will similar play to the guy we all wish could keep playing forever. Something we didn’t figure we would see again anytime soon. So thanks Mr. Kobe Bryant you are both admired and appreciated for your unique greatness and contributions to the sport of basketball.

The NBA became known wordlwide only because of Jordan and because Jordan was in the Olympics in ’92. Kobe made his rise while the NBA was already a major sport league around the world. Of course Kobe put up great performances, but Jordan litterrally transformed the sport of basketball in every way : style, attitude, endorsement, TV audiences. Jordan made Basketball enter a new era, the modern era as we know it today. And Kobe, as great as he his, hasn’t been a game changer like Jordan has.

I think KOBE is great…..hes accomplished alot and might be top 5 depending on how you look at it…..hes the best scorer in this era and the closest thing to MJ we have seen but hes definitely has not accomplished more than MJ….MJ is 6 FOR 6 in the finals with no game 7s …. cant ignore that and the fact that it was ALWAYS his team….he was the only person on his team worth double teaming…. yes pippen did not get double team because the plan was to stop jordan… kobe had shaq for the first three which shaq was clearly the dominant factor in those championships…the lakers got killed by the pistons and he pretty much didnt do anything against the celtics both times with the exception of maybe a game or half here and there (see tony allen)……the crazy part about kobe is he has NEVER dominated a finals……NEVER… the way MJ each time, even bron did this past year or even wade in 06….. hes accomplished alot but people forget he bailed out on lakers against the suns in 06….. hell never get the nod over MJ because he has not done enough.. its taking him 17-18 years to get to this point whereas MJ really only played 13 season because missed all of but 18 games in 86 and when he came back from baseball played almost half the season….30,000 is alot of points,, hes the youngest but also took him the longest to get there for what that is worth……..

one area that seperates Kobe from alot of other NBA players is his toughness. Between fingers, shoulder, knees, nose, and the games he plays sick., Kobe is one of the most dependable players to ever play. And for the MJ thing. Kobe is Kobe, MJ is MJ, LBJ is LBJ. They are all different players and have different skill sets (Even though MJ’s and Kobe’s skill set are similiar).

When you are the man that people say ” Hes the Michael Jordan of Tennis” or “Hes the Michael Jordan” of golf….you know you are the GOAT handsdown. Whens the last time you heard someone say “Hes the Kobe Bryant of something?” Never! Kobe is an amazing man….top 10 for sure but no one will ever top Jordan no matter what. He changed NBA forever. Like Arnold is in body building (which people say hes the Michael Jordan of) no matter what any future bodybuilders do no one will ever take over Arnolds spot. He is the king of that sport as Michael Jordan is and always will be king of basketball and not just the GOAT of NBA but the GOAT of all sports in history imo. I’m a thunder fan….I’d give anything if KD would spend a summer with MJ instead of LBJ.

First of all, if you compare Kobe’s and Jordan’s gameplay, you will see that Kobe is better shooter, scorer and better ball handler than Jordan. Second thing is, when Jordan win 6 titles, in all that years he had the best and unstoppable team, it’s so easy when you have Pippen with you and great bench players. Jordan didn’t face the Zone Defense, which is waaay easy to play against NO ZONE defense for players like Jordan and Kobe. I’ve watched Jordan more than Kobe, and i really can’t see how Jordan is a better player in his game…I just know, that Kobe will win at least 2 Championships, and at the end of the day, when is all set and done he will end up as the G.O.A.T.
And Steve Aschburner says that Kobe is a copy of Jordan? Steve, i know you can hate on official NBA page which is no brained, but try to have more respect for Bryant. If we talk about copying things, Jordan didn’t invent fade-away, or those moves, that’s all invented from earlier generations. If no one copy anything, we won’t watch basketball today, we will watch something way different.
So, when Jordan face the Zone Defense, and have these competitive players in league like Kobe has, and without best and unstoppable team like Kobe was especially from 2004 to 2007, i don’t think and I’m sure that Jordan wouldn’t have 6 Titles, 6 MVP’s, or some other achievements.
Kobe is the G.O.A.T. just wait till his career ends at hes 40 yrs. Thanks #BlackMamba

I never liked people comparing Kobe to MJ. Comparing any contemporary player to Michael Jordan (or any other great player for that matter) is pointless. No two players are alike. They might share similarities but that’s about it. Constantly comparing Kobe or Lebron or whoever to MJ doesn’t do their own greatness any justice. That being said, Kobe will go down as one of the greatest in my book.

I don’t understand why people all the time are mentioning the 81-point game. It was a meaningless game vs the raptors where he went only for his own succes while the game was already played. He’s the most selfish player I’ve ever seen. The lakers are losing right now all because Kobe taking 30 shots per game with his 42 pct shooting percentage.
Do you really think that if Jordan would play instead of Kobe on this Lakers team that they would be 8-10?????
He is a leader and made anyone on his team better, he demanded that. They would have been 16-2 at least. Kobe is only focussed on himself while Howard takes 9 shots a game? Where is Kobe during the finals, scoring goes down, shooting pct goes down etc. Jordan everything up.
The Lakers need to trade Kobe if they want to make a shot at another title.

Steve Aschburner’s opinion is a joke and clearly bias towards Kobe. The fact Kobe lead the lakers to the finals without Shaq 3 times says a lot about Kobe, he is that freaking great and Shaq is lucky as hell. Kobe earned all 5 of those rings. Shaq looked dominant because of the competition at his position was a laughable joke when the lakers had that 3 peat. Shaq was driven because MJ retired, Olajuwon was too old, Admiral banged up,and Ewing old as well? Kobe never switch teams to take an easy route to win titles which lebron let the whole world know with “The Decision”. Sorry Steve, Lebron will never be better than Kobe as far as legacies are concerned, no stat would cover that up, he had a chance had he led the cavs to a championship. Someone will break all of lebron’s records in Cleveland as well. Never heard MJ saying he wanted to team up with Bird or Magic so he can win titles easily because the Pistons kept beating his teams. Kobe is breaking other Laker greats records as we speak. The fact that he is even “compared” to MJ says a lot. I don’t see nobody else coming even close. Lebron yeah right. I have kobe in my top 5. Right there with MJ,Magic,Bird,and Dream. Scary to think how much higher Kobe stats would have been had he started his entire career.WOW

Kobe just can’t win! Everything he does will never be good enough! If he wins his 6th, they will say MJ never lost a final. They say he’s selfish, then he leads his team to the playoffs and championships! They said he couldn’t win without Shaq and he went to 3 straight finals winning 2 and the finals MVP and everyone wants to credit Gasol! KB winning without Shaq makes increases his value when they played together, not diminish it! Since when does winning with a different team make you less of a player, coach, GM, etc? With everyone else it enhances their contribution. With Kobe he was just along for the ride. If Kobe imitated MJ, then who did MJ imitate? Every player styles his game after who they watch! But for some reason Kobe is penalized for it. Judge every player the same. Don’t change up the game to make your point because you don’t like the dude. There will be someone who will come along better than Kobe and believe it or not there will be someone who comes along better than MJ! I personally don’t rank players individually, i just say they are in the argument of GOAT! That’s all that you can really say. Fans will appreciate a guard with a fancier style than a big man. So Bill Russell who has 11 titles and even a title as a player coach doesn’t get mention or the great Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Fans are highlight driven so they like the more exciting players. Not saying that MJ or Kobe aren’t as good as adverstise, just a little perspective. They all belong in the conversation along with Magic, Bird, Oscar, Wilt, Russell, and a few others! Despite how you may feel, sit back and watch one of the greatest to ever play and just enjoy him and the rest of the league!!!!!!!!

kobe ur the best player ….. theres no player like u ….. u play like u wer 20 yrs …..
he deserves the mvp not lebron james why they choose lebron james he havent do nothing dat kobe already did so pls ppl be intelligent and vote for kobe hes the best….

Jordan played (and dominated) on the East coast! kobe played his entire career out West. I would love to see kobe have to go against those great piston teams. Don’t forget Bird’s Celtics..and Pat Rileys Knicks. Oh and as for the 81 pts…Jordan still owns the most pts in a single playoff game. as for kobe having a better mid range game…that’s comical! Mike’s turn around jumper was UNSTOPPABLE! it was a freakin lay up for christs sakes. Kobe doesn’t even take that shot anymore…since his idol retired. Finally…Mike dominated the leagues bigs. kobe is murder on the smaller players. And M.J could FLY! Let’s not forget.

I watched Michael Jordan play my whole life, so feel like an authority when I say that no one (and I mean no one) can take and make more difficult shots than Kobe Bryant. Jordan was more gifted and more athletic but Kobe worked himself to greatness and is actually a far better shooter.

alot of haters lols haha if haters really knew kobe isn’t close to mj
they wouldnt come on here and hate on kobe lOLs lol i mean cmon why isnt anyone saying
“oh allen iverson had more skills” blah blah blah or ohh t-mac > kobe, jerry west > kobe, Larry bird > Kobe or
kobe > iverson , think about that
why are people on here hating on kobe comparing to mj?
cause they know kobe’s the closest thing to mj ;)
out of all the people you wanted to compare kobe to because you hate him, you choose MJ? haha denying haters

IMO Kobe without question is the best scorer the league has had. 81 against actually defense …Wilt’s feet was epic but he really didn’t have any competition at the time They had to change some rules for WIlt after that. With that said is he the best player NO! We all know that’s MJ. And lets mention LBJ since everyone always does. (Should we be talking about him really no he’s still not seasoned enough to be talking about Greatest anything) LBJ is the most versatile NBA ever nobody else can claim his Jack of all Trades position on the floor. Now go through your videos, stats, and memories and tell me I’m wrong

MJ 35ppg 50% Kobe 25ppg 45% career average, 1 game of big scoring doesnt prove much really,D.Robinson also had 1 game with 71 points against the clippers is he one of the best scorers ever?!?!? nope. The main reason MJ is considered the best ever is because he is the most talented scorer ever by far, if u take that away from him then u simply cant say hes the best player ever, but no one can take that title away from michael unless kobe or someone else finishes his career with an average of 35+ppg on 50+% fg which is insane really.

Kobe Bean Bryant is a talented basketball player whose work ethic is second to none. The man just achieved a career milestone of 30000+ points, in trying to celebrate his achievement, we still seek to compare him to the greatest there ever was Micheal Jordan. Yes Kobe has shaped his game around the many greats there were before him,mostly Micheal but so too have a number of players in the NBA, and most have not come as close as Kobe has. So please, just acknowledge the achievements of this man without comparing him to Michael Jordan, Well done Kobe Byrant. KB24

Kobe Bryant is by far the most consistent player in NBA history. 17 years with no signs of slowing down. 17 years with signs of refining and perfecting his game. Has anyone in basketball had such a complete array of skills? Not to mention his ability to affect the game on both ends of the floor. The most complete scorer we have seen to date. Countless clutch shots, from all angles. Jordan doesn’t have the record for 3’s in a game, Kobe does. In no conversation is Kobe a better player than the GOAT, Jordan, but he certainly measures close. At this point in time saying he is the greatest Laker, is an understatement. Do not take a player with such work ethic for granted. The term antique comes to mind when describing Kobe Bryant. Old, but still immaculate.

People making these comments about Kobe being selfish and kicking Shaq out of town. ARE Y’ALL SERIOUS! There is absolutely no way you can win 1 ring let alone 5 and be selfish. We’re talking NBA not middle school ball. Don’t forget “if you are old enough to remember”, MJ shot alot “very selfish” until he got adequate help. Both players are competitors and don’t like losing.
So if shooting alot helps us win the there it is. As for Shaq, Kobe doesn’t own the Lakers, he is a player/employee. He can’t kicked Shaq out of town, that’s a front office decision. Do you think that if Shaq”the most dominant Big to ever play” was producing they would have given him the boot for Kobe. As hard as it is finding a quality Big in the game. Put on your thinking cap people!!!!!

The beat Kobe Bean Bryant is dedicated, hard worker, committed strong mind, get the job done , love the sport. The Black Mamba is the best snd deserves the best for his hard work, dedication an intelligent Black man. with loove Barbara S.

Steve Aschburner is a plain kobe hater. If counting accolades gives you credibility in becoming the GOAT, Kobe should be at least top 3 of all time. Kobe played as 2nd or 3rd option in his first 9yrs or so because of Shaq but that doesn’t mean that things would have been better for Shaq if Kobe stayed in Charlotte. He’d probably be sitting at 34,000 points at least by now if that was the case.

Jordan is not the best player to ever play, Kareem is.
The top 5 players I have is Kareem, MJ, then Kobe, fill in the blank for the rest.
Overall I dont think anyone has ever brought the intensity that Kobe has. MJ is what Kobe built his game around, kinda like how the next generation builds around Kobe (ie James Harden)
I know for a fact that Kobe is a higher skilled player in general than MJ, I know I put MJ #2 and Kobe #3 but they are really neck and neck, once kobe gets his 6th he will pretty much but the reflection of MJ…BTW Lebron sis nothing but an athlete. He is a great player but will never top Kobe. He is just too soft. He is a marshmellow and I think its funny how after last years finals they (The media) try to make him look tough.

LAST POINT
Steve Aschburner: Dont make the mamba hating so obvious yeah? LIl wayne will make a song about bron one day…dont trip

@Steve Aschburner, to quote another great, John McEnroe, “you cannot be serious”. Only five players in the history of basketball have accomplished what this great player, Kobe Bryant has just achieved. By the way, three of the other four are at least 6’9″. Kobe at 6’6″ is the shortest. This list includes the great “Skyhook” himself, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain, both over 7’0″ tall. As great as they both were, they didn’t have to work as hard as Kobe does. Just for hard work, determination and effort alone, Kobe Bean Bryant has to be in the top two. Oh by the way, he’s the youngest in history to score 30,000 points and still counting!!!

Funny steve mentions kobes first 3 titles were shaq driven…then goes on to compare him to lebron….who has one ring and was dwade driven as well…… and puts him on GOAT status?? Give credit where its due.

I hate it when people compare Kobe to MJ. MJ has done things that alot of players will never be able to do including Kobe. But Kobe has done things that MJ never even dreamed of in his playing days. I bet everyone would have a different opinion of Kobe if he didnt get ripped of the two MVP titiles that he never won (02-03 season and 06-07) But no matter what at the end of the day Kobe will be one of the greatest to ever step on the floor. I cant say his number one or two or five. Just simply one of the greatest.

Kobe share the first place with Mickael in the determination department and whereas MJ is ahead in some categories KB is up for a key aspect in pro sports which is consitency.That’s why he ll outshine MJ for most points in career, you better not take it lightly!

Kobe share the first place with Mickael in the determination department and whereas MJ is ahead in some categories KB is up for a key aspect in pro sports which is consitency.That’s why he ll outshine MJ for most points in career, you better not take it lightly!

Give Kobe some credit and stop hating, his record might not last, it’s all depend on LeBron James now who is currently keep on wiping Kobe’s record.

I don’t think it’s fair to compare Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan like this, they are undeniable alike in many ways but yet so different.

Michael Jordan was drafted #3 and destined to be the franchise player as soon as he enters NBA. Kobe Bryant wasn’t drafted like that, you don’t tell me Lakers were trying to make 17 years old high school kid franchise player over newly acquired Shaq.

So here comes one of the point why people like Kobe so much, he works hard to earn his way from bench to starter. Certain people like to witness how one fight to success, to earn recognition, to show the world that one could make history even he was not expected to be.

Kobe can only start to be “like Mike” when Shaq departed, that’s when he starting to hog all personal glory like early Jordan or LeBron James, you can’t really blame him on that because an ego person like him surely wanna taste how it feel to be the Boss after living behind someone else’s shadow for so many years.

Only after years of personal glory chasing, then all of them will realise it’s not about themselves anymore. No matter how great these 3 players are, none of them win championship(s) by themselves.

Of so many scoring titles Jordan earned, he can’t win any championship without Pippen.
Of so many godlike stats sheet filling by LeBron James, he can’t win his championship without teaming with Bosh and Wade.
Of so much points Kobe can score in a game or even outscored a team (Mavs), he can’t win any championship without Shaq or Pau.

Always remember that LeBron James and Michael Jordan were franchise players as soon as they enter NBA, Kobe was not… his story of becoming he himself today is more inspiring than the said two,

I always say that there is no greatest of all time trophy so all of thi is and will be 100% debatible. I think that there are great players for there “own” eras. But i have to give Kobe his respect as a NBA great. I dont think that MJ nor Kobe is the so called GOAT because ‘ time has not stopped yet and people I guess need something to compete with or about”.
I have been a Laker fan since 87 and Kobe made me into a fan, it took awhile but the man is one of the greats. And people fail to realize in 2001 in the playoffs even Shaq was talking about how great the man was so i dont think he is no second journeyman just a stand around three point speciallist. He almost dismantled a Spurs team that had Tim D win the MVP and a deep Spurs team with the overall best record and home court advantage that year.
I do believe people mix up their likability of Kobe off the court instead of on the court. You cant go wrong with any HOF calibur player. Lets appreciate Kobe while he is around, for adding his legacy to the great game that we love to watch, and debate about the NBA.

He is certainly one of the greatest players of all time. He is the 2nd best SG and maybe the greatest scorer. One of the two guys who are that fit to severe competition. He is one of the guys when the time comes, you see in his eyes sparkling with anger and power and self confidence. He is not MJ definitely, but he is as close as it can be..

If you were to take Kobe out from the Shaq Lakers dynasty and put other wing players don’t you think they’d win those 3 rings? Reggie Miller? Dwayne Wade? Healthy Penny? Ray Allen all alone on the three? or bit older guys in their younger not prime, days; Richmond, Drexler, Bernard King. Can you imagine if Dirk was along side Shaq? I think they’d still win those 3.

Kobe is/was fantastic, but to me he represents the jaded years of new post Jordan era. The Iversons, The Mcgradys, The Carters – The fill-ins. They wanted his place and there is nothing bad about that, but they weren’t team players. Do you think MJ would kick Shaq out of town, whine every two seasons, defy triangle as often, say that hes adjusting while taking 35 shots? I’m moreof an old shool guy. I think there are more than 10 players in the history better than him, maybe not as talented, but more team oriented, good old ballers. Here are my examples of players that i watched: Olajuwon (player with no weakness), Duncan (ditto, maybe free throws), Shaq (now that’s dominance), Jordan (…), Kareem (no weaknesses), Magic, Bird, and yes, Lebron.

I am from China. In China, KB24 is the hottest NBA star,and the hottest american sportsman as well, ever. We Chinese started to watch NBA live games through TV from 90s. Very few people witnessed MJ’s whole NBA career, KB24 is the first one told us Chinese what basketball star is and obviously his amazing career is uncopiable. More and more younger began to talk about LBJ and KD but Kobe’s greatness is unique. Looking at his move and perfect skills – Kobe is a gift for basketball game, not any other games.
Don’t misunderstand Yao Ming made Chinese fall in love with NBA. Kobe did.

Kobe is a great player, one of the greatest, but he is not Michael Jordan, and I don’t think he is the closest player in talent or numbers to get there. He has absurd talent, but it’s not equal to MJ. And he is/was a selfish player. Doesn’t matter if the team is bad or if he was a giant competitor, he is a little Chamberlain when it comes to the “I want to win by myself”. It proves his commitment to winning, because a guy who tries that number of shots a game and has those numbers clearly is always playing for the ring, what is amazing. Kobe is never a soft player. But it also proves his lack of trust in other guys to solve the games. The fact that he is always the center of the franchise probably isn’t helping the team anymore, because while he scores a lot, he misses a lot, giving the opposing team a chance to counter attack and win the game. I share Steve Aschburner’s opinion.

Not a Lakers fan or hater. Not interessed in calling other people dumb, because I respect their opinion, but I want mine respected too.

Just on a side note…..Kobe is playing in a league that has ***WAY*** more talent than MJ did. @ Be Fair, LBJ and KD have freakish bodies and NEITHER… yes neither will ever be in the MJ/Kobe discussion. You can’t compare 2 guys who play at that level in 6’6 bodies… with guys that aren’t.

Michael Jordan didn’t take his team past the second round before Pippen or Phil Jackson.
When Pippen came along, they made it to the ECF I think once or twice?
Then Phil Jackson came along and they started to come together and won 3 in a row.
Jordan retires and Pippen leads the Bulls to 55 wins and mind you, THREE players on the Bulls were named to the All-Star team.
Jordan was a scorer, a fantastic scorer. When he came back, he filled a void that was left because they lacked a great shooting guard in an era where great shooting guards were rare.

Shaq didn’t take his team to the Finals without Kobe or Phil Jackson.
Kobe developed into a great scorer and Phil Jackson was hired.
They went on to win a 3 in a row.

Now, to clear up the confusion of who’s the better player.
Neither.

Because Jordan was purely a SCORER. That’s all he did. You can see he was a defensive menace, that’s fine but his main job was to score.

Kobe’s purely a scorer also. But I’m going to take it a step further and say Kobe was a MUCH better scorer in terms of shooting touch and footwork.

Shaq’ had a big body (300+ pounds), he had no great post moves. All he did was turn around, bang into the defender and dunk over them with his big frame of 300 pounds and 7+ feet.

Michael Jordan had huge hands so it was easier for him to get up in the air and handle the ball better than many other guards could.

Lebron James is a basketball player with a football player’s body. Literally, he came into the league with absolutely no skills. Even now, he is able to get into the paint so easily just because of his big frame. He’s the Shaq of his position. Go watch replays or even a full game when he steam rolls into the paint. It’s completely unfair.

Where’s Kobe Bryant’s big advantage? Don’t say he got to play with Shaq because I could say the same about others…
And Gasol is barely comparable to Pippen. Dwight Howard is also a less menacing and dominant force than Rodman.
MJ got to play with Pippen, Rodman, Horace Grant, Armstrong?
Lebron got to play with Wade, Bosh, now Ray Allen?
Shaq got to play with Kobe?

Now I’m going to go ahead and point something out. The reason the Lakers won their last 2 championships? Pau Gasol played center and Odom played power forward. Stretch forward and center both 7 feet tall. People don’t realize that Bynum and Gasol didn’t work and that Dwight and Gasol won’t work. Lamar Odom was a perfect fit for that system because he allowed Gasol to play his game to his strength. But anyways… I’m done typing. Hope this has enlightened some people.

P.S. GOAT means Greatest of all time.
You think the GOAT should be some1 that scored? Then give it to Wilt or Kareem
You think the GOAT should be some1 that won championships? Then give it to Bill Russell
You think the GOAT should be some1 that won the most MVPs? Then give it to Kareem
You think the GOAT should be some1 that won the most Finals MVPs? Then give it to Bill Russell
You think the GOAT should be some1 that changed the world of basketball? Then give it to Bill Russell
He was the first African American player to achieve superstar status in the NBA.
By the way, the Finals MVP’s were not given out in Russell’s time but I’ll give him all 11 Finals MVPs because he carried that team defensively and defense wins championships.

Also, just a quick add on. Kobe is THIRTY FOUR YEARS OLD. No other shooting guard, older or younger than him in the league right now, is close to being as good as him. Dwayne Wade can’t guard the man, let alone shoot like him. He can’t shoot from anywhere on the floor either. Kobe is many years older than LBJ and KD and they are JUST starting to become better than him?

actually comparing kobe to jordan or jordan to kobe has no limit.. some said jordan good at this kobe is good on that.. comparisons were no limits.. all will end up arguing, writers misunderstood by the readers (depends on whom the writer’s bet). but all i see is jordan is the best player on 90s and kobe at his spot after MJ retired.. all can be decided who is best if they play toe to toe (sadly that won’t happen)

if there’s a comparison to be tackled, it’s between LBJ and KD because both are at almost at the peak of their careers…

EVERYONE PLEASE READ THIS! Kobe and MJ are hands down the best shooting guards to ever play in the NBA. If there not then who? As for the comparisons MJ transcended the game making basketball in the NBA fun to watch again. When he retired we thoght it was all over. Then, here comes Kobe…for those of you who haven’t really followed Kobe’s and who just want to post a blog then consider this. Kobe has played at a high level for the last 17 years and has ot waivered in his game. True, Kobe studied every aspect of MJ’s game: but he also improved areas where MJ was weak. All I’m saying is you can’t exalt one above the other.
Same skills…different eras. Lebron, and the rest of the NBA players past and present are not close to achieving the bar set by these two men. It’s called HARD WORK. Steve Aschburner, stick to writing. Even though Kobe was torching MJ in his prime. WATCH THIS YOUTUBE DON’T LIE!

Kobe Bean has it all! I don’t think I ever watched MJ move through a Triple team, hit as many prayers. Kobe was owning the league at 18 19 years old (even though he was limited in minutes) that’s super young to be doing that……..If Kobe plays until he is lets say Steve Nashes age, HOW MANY POINTS WILL HE FINISH WITH 45K career points

It’s always difficult to talk about GOAT including all the roles: how can you measure Kobe over Chamberlain? Or Russell over Magic? Also, it’s impossible to compare talents in different ages of the game: was Shaq more dominant than Chamberlain? Probably not but he WAS dominant. Kobe is definetively the second best shooting guard after MJ in the history of basketball, but if we talk about point and shooting guards, Magic and Robertson come into the picture: I would say MJ stands a bit higher than Kobe and Magic, then the Big O. Now, moving to the other roles, there’s a quartet that has to be considered: Chamberlain, Russell, Kareem and Bird. So, IMHO, Kobe stands for sure in an ideal top 7 all-time, maybe top 5, hardly top 3 (MJ, Chamberlain, and then one among Kobe-Magic-Kareem).

Kobe is a baller…a true student of the game. Jordan was an athlete who balled. The same goes for Lebron. MJ and Lebron could probably play another sport professionally (oh wait, MJ tried).

KOBE? HE’S A BALLER…PERIOD. A PURIST. IF you really like basketball, you’d understand his greatness…If you like running and jumping then yeah, you’ll miss all that he does…

By the way, just because LEBRON won ONE SINGLE RING doesn’t give Lebron a ticket to GOAT discussions just yet. He should at least win one or two more. Then yeah welcome to the GOAT discussions….but D Wade will always have one more ring than Lebron!!! Go figure…

GOATS have LEGACIES!!!!! Kobe has one. MJ has one. Russell has one. Larry and Magic has one together. Wilt has one. Kareem has one. Duncan has one. Shaq? hmmm…maybe. Lebron…NOT YET!!!

The writers above (some) disappointed me in their response. JORDAN never faced so many talented Guards during his time, and not much small forwards that could guard him. Kobe faced that almost every night in his career. Please remember the work he had to put in to prove he should be given a shot. Did NOT start his career as a starter, young kid coming in and now you’re saying top 10? Top 2 then Top 5. Why in the world is Lebron being mentioned? 1 Ring, and handed a golden spoon coming into the league by writer like you guys and the commissioner and the media. Kobe was disliked from pretty much the start. Lebron does not even have a jump shot. Anyways Kobe you’re number 1 to me. top 5 when you retire and basketball ratings drop

if you look at percentages jordan was better in the paint and dunking… as far as threes and long two range jordan is not even a top ten PERIOD 50% of his shots were close range because he was and is the most dominant inside player to ever play the game… even 7 foot centers couldn’t keep jordan from the base line….. that is the one thing I never liked about the kobe and jordan comparison. Kobe has always lived and died by mid range to long range shots. Not saying he never goes inside but it was never his main arsenal…… I think both players are great and at the things they did its hard to say who is better…. 11 rings between two guys is enough said… and as far as LBJ is concerned he was still failing to reach title games when kobe lead his team to three in a row and won two…. in his youth kobe would’ve destroyed lebron in scoring he didn’t score 81 for no reason just saying…

You are a fool to be comparing their stats right now. Thats an average of 9 seasons for lebron and 15 for kobe. if you wanna talk numbers talk about the achievements in scoring and how Kobe can make it look so effortless. It took lebron 4 years of practicing his outside shot and a superstar trade to the Heat to win just 1 championship so far. 9 years and 1 championship doesnt seem quite right to me.

Get this straight Jordan is the better player but Kobe is the better scorer. Kobe had a better mid range and 3pt game. Jordan has an amazing drive game in the post he was virtually impossible to stop. But Kobe does some things better then MJ and vice versa. We have to think of all the things Kobe did in the past not just the recent games he has, as people often forget that he is 34 now and is not 4/10 of what he once was. Overtime Kobe will be the 2nd or 3rd greatest player of all time (MJ and Kareem) As well people forget how much less competion there was in the Bird Magic era, basketball is way more completive and requires a lot more….

Kobe its for me top2 as a one-an-one player top2 as scorer top5 as a talented player but top1 as selfish player ever in this team game (to be considered as a alltime top) and maybe that rest him some spots in other rankings like best player ever.

Im not a huge Kobe but the man is a straight up G….. he is a solider and when it comes to comparing Jordan to Kobe its pretty hard to do they both played for Phill and te triangle offense. The both got the fadeaway the ice water in the veins at the end of the game. But if Ihad to pick…….. Kobe the way the game and the players and the game has evolved the rule changes guys are bigger faster meaner then they ever where in the 80’s and 90’s I often find myself pondering of MJ would still be considered the greatest ever of he played in the present times.
Dont get me wrong he would still be a bad mother but…………

@marlon and Ammar
you two idiots! brown = shannon brown. you all riding hard on kobe and bron but have you ever seen off the court scenes? pippen himself admited jordan pushed hard on his team to become great. Jordan lead and demand form his teammates on and off the court. kobe never did, so is lebron. they run. one of them run away to join with ready made stars and another one keep making off court dramas. pippen was superstar because jordan demanded and pushed him hard. by himself pippen is only a star. pippen = an all star. pippen + jordan push = 50 greatest.

As a life long Laker fan, I am proud to say that I’ve seen nearly every one of Kobe’s games. Ive seen all the great things he’s done on the court live as they happened. The 81 points is something that will go down as one of my favorite moments. I remember what I was wearing, who was with me, where I was on that night against Toronto. The playoffs, specifically the shot against Phoenix is a great memory. The Championships of course. The one thing about kobe thats unique is he just doesnt give a F$&$ what you think about him or write about him. He is one bad man. Congrats Kobe. You are a Laker Legend forever. Thanks for the memories.

great Player, But there such Huge gap between MJ and him that the second, thrird …. best player of all time has to be another type of player , not a far away copy of Mike..
Both were guards same size weigth and higth, game style but when you look at stats VINCE CARTER IS CLOSER TO KOBE THAN KOBE TO MIKE
KOBE 25.4 PPG, MIKE ALMOST 30 PPG
KOBE 45 SHOOTING %, MIKE 50%
THIS IS AN ENOURMOUS GAP.
KOBE NEVER HAS BEEN THE BEST PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE FOR A LONG PERIOD

I’ve followed Kobe since he joined the Lakers. I also followed MJ from 1996 on. The two most competitive players I have ever seen in the game. Without a doubt. Kobe will be a legend in the NBA after he leaves. I hope he plays a few more years. I think he has it in him to continue competing at a high level. I also think the Kobe-Dwight combo can be lethal, once they get going! Thx and go Lakers

anyone who thinks kobe is better than mj is an obvious laker/kobe fan. shaq averaged close to 35 and 20 during the 3 peat while kobe averaged around 20 ppg. kobe needs way too much talent around him to win because of how selfish he plays. but he is in the top 10

Kobe one of the greatest of all times, and a close second greatest 2 guard before Jordan. It is a travesty that he only has 1 league MVP, won more championships than Dirk, LeBron, Nash, and Wade combined. No one gives Kobe his credit but we’ll miss a player like him when he’s gone. Just like when Jordan left the game; it was a league wide let down. It will be the same but a shame when #24 is done. You never know what you got till its gone.

LMFAO at all of y’all’s list. No Duncan?! Show some respect, just because he hasn’t snitched or raped a girl doesn’t make him not in the top 10 GOAT
2 MVP (Kobe 1 pity MVP, league felt bad for him)
ROY
4 Championships (Kobe coat tailing to at least 3)
All Star Game MVP(yes Bean does have more)
3 Finals MVP (Kobe coat tailed Shaq to 3, missed playoffs in his prime leading a team by himself, rofl, couldn’t do anything until Gasol was gifted)
13 Time All Star for his first 13 seasons
Only Player to be in All Defensive and All NBA Team for his first 13 seasons. (Kobe lmfao, letting Afflalo torch him, only getting nominated through name recognition only)
Made Spurs the most winningest franchise out of the 4 major sports in the U.S. since he joined 15 seasons ago as the unquestionable leader

Wilt: scoring
Big O: Mr. trip-dub
Magic: hype, winner, captured our imagination
Bird: see Magic above (they’re basically the same)
Duncan: big fundamentals
SHAQ: most dominant force in the NBA
KOBE: he’s Kobe….so yeah. he’s definitely top 10, COULD BE top 5…he’ll have to beat Jabbar’s scoring title to REALLY crack the top 3….so KOBE…STAY AND PLAY and get 39K!!!
LEBRON: TBD…but I think he will definitely be top 10..MAYBE MAYBE top 5 but a lot REMAINS TO BE SEEN…

Those of the writers who said Kobe is only Top 10 and not Top 5, are utterly out of their mind. Kobe is definitely Top 5, if not Top 3. Magic Johnson has been quoted as saying Kobe Bryant is one of the Top 3 players ever to play the game.

Jordan still holds the GOAT award, Kobe is up there, but to me still ranks behind the Big O, Wilt and for me at least Larry Bird. If championships didn’t contribute to how well we measure a player, Jordan still takes the cake, but Kareem, Wilt, and Malone and a handfull of others to me are still ahead of him. Kobe is close to Jordan, but put it this way, if Jordan did not retire twice, to me he would be the only player in league history to go over 40K points. Kobe would still have his 30k points but jordan was more efficient, but kobe was a better outside shooter.
If anyone want’s to turn this to a championship run, that book is closed tight. If you want to compare to MJ’s greatness you have to go better than 6-0 on the finals stage. Kobe is already out, he lost out on a championship back in 08. kobe is 5-1 in the finals, LBJ 1-2. Magic, Kareem, Moses, Hakeem, Shaq any other great player who has been to the finals at least 5 times other than MJ has lost at least 1 time. That is where the argument closes, MJ never lost a championship when he got to the greatest stage in basketball. All the other greats (aside from Tim Duncan) have.

I agree with all the comments. Bryant is a superb player. He’s not michael jordan. His first three rings came from the best player being Mr. O’Niel and also being the finals MVP instead of Kobe. So the number of championships are not the same as Michael’s either. But no doubt any rational person wants him on their team.

I don’t care for numbers… Fact is, Bryant is one of the greatest scorers of all time – at times in his career, he might even have been a match to Jordan. But, Jordan was ALWAYS Jordan… Jordan never complained about his team mates or their role… And Kobe doesn’t come close to being the defensive player Jordan was – people forget just how unbelievable he and Pippen were at the defensive end. Kobe’s good on D – but not great… I’ve got him Top 20 – if we’re talking scorers, Top 10.

@Mark….. I prefer not to call people names but youre an idiot if you think that Kobe is not a great defender…. This will prove my point…… 16 season and 12 Defensive team honors…. Nothing left to say!!!!

Top 5 all time easy. Kobe never and still doesn’t get the credit he really deserves. I mean he would just go on a tear and no one could stop him. He did things only Wilt and Michael did. His 4 in a row 50 point games only wilt did. HIs 9 40 point games unbelievable. If LBJ did that people would go crazy (like dumb Charles Barkley) and probably say he’s better than Michael but Kobe does it and nothing. Poor man just didn’t get any credit. Hence only the one MVP.

Great talent, but after 16 seasons the fact that he’s still jacking up 20+ shots per game with a frontline of Howard (averaging about 11 shots PG / career 58% shooter ) and Pau (12 shots PG / career 51% shooter) tells me more about the man’s game and smarts than the impressive scoring numbers.

@Watcher….. Okay smart guy (not). Yes Jordan did shoot over 40% from three twice, but to flip that Kobe only shot under 30 from three twice and those two years…. Guess what??? Those two year were also the years that he took the least amount of three in his career. Now back to Jordan…. How many times the he shoot under 30%???….. A whopping 9 TIMES. Kobe made almost the same amount that Jordan attempted….. That alone speaks for itself. Shooters shoot, and dunkers dunk. Which is why he has a higher field goal percentage, because everybody except you know that the closer you get to the hoop the easier it is to score.

Nobody is acknowledging Kobe Bryant’s immense legacy right now, but give it 15 to 20 years and people are going to start comparing the future greats not only to Jordan, but Kobe also. LEGEND in my eyes, and clearly in the top 5 in GOAT behind Jordan, Chamberlain, Kareem, and Bird or Magic.

Steve Aschburner is a straight HATER. But no1 cares about his opinion so whatever. KOBE IS THE 2ND BEST PLAYER TO EVER PLAY (and I say 2nd only because Jordan has 6 rings). If Kobe gets 7 then he is the greatest of all time. Even Phil said Kobe was a more deadly scorer and when he got hot would stay hotter than MJ. My opinion is obviously biased, but I am truly blessed to have been able to witness Kobe play, and am looking forward to witnessing the rest of his journey. How he is not top 5 in your list Steve, I do not understand…

Kobe is goat but still 1 championship away from Jordan,difficult times for him now with the team.He comes some short with team development at the moment.when Steve N.& Pau comes back we gonna have more ballanced offence,defence is not so bad,everybody on L.A need’s to work more on the finnishing touch,enuff winning games before the play off bracket starting.When the half season is done&we still are below placing limits from p.offs Jim needs to reconsider what he’s doing with D’antoni choosing with the best choice to take finaly a real championship coach> PJAX!!!Kobe has not much time left before ending career,so Jim d’ont F..K it up his legacy with LA too,will you?He’s not the young mamba anymore,momently the older version& still can be effective certainly with PJAX !!!
Jim d’ont trow this away please!!! If needed give PJAX the moon when he demands+1 extra sharp 3point shooter!!!
Come on Jim,do it!!!!!!!!!!!

Kobe made himself better but his game does not make players around him better. Just look at the talent he has around him at present and you would with common sense say that he does not have the leadership to guide a talented pool of talents. It would take a very talented coach to make it a great team.

Kobe is a great scorer and he benefited from the league craving for a superstar at a time when MJ left the game; this made Kobe Bryant the heir to the popular throne of the NBA. Media and commentators day in and day out repeatedly touting how great he is (one of the best of all time….blah blah blah blah). I am a Laker fan and miss the Showtime days when a team didn
‘t belong to one star. Was Showtime belong to Magic’s team or Worthy’s team or Kareem’s team?

Jordan will always be known as The Greatest of All Time. Always. It’s almost become a law that there is no way that somebody could be better than Michael Jordan. And while Jordan clearly was the best player ever to be in the NBA at that time, it seems illogical in my opinion how Jordan’s title as GOAT can never be touched. It’s hard to discount Kobe’s accomplishments for his supposed selfishness and ridiculous excuses(“Shaqs won those rings”). For those of you who didn’t realize, Jordan had two Hall of Famers playing with him when he won all of his rings. While its certain that Kobe pioneered his game from Jordan, people think that since he did that, it automatically makes Jordan better. I’m not here to tell you that there might be a possibility that Kobe could be better than Jordan when it’s all said and done, because to all the old school basketball fans that would be unethical on all levels. But if there was one guy who’d even question to push Jordan off of his throne, it definitely is Kobe Bean Bryant. Once Kobe is retired and gone from the league, I feel that is when people will finally praise Kobe. It’s one thing to play and be coined the greatest (Jordan), but it’s a completely different thing playing in the shadow of Jordan for his whole Career and still getting it done on any given night.

Greatest pure scorer in the history of the game! Some of these experts are morons. Our opinions are as good as theirs. We watch the same things they do and i know that most people agree that kobe is the best scorer and second only to michael jordan when it comes to best overall!

everybody say shaq helped kobe get the first 3 rings no he was in the league and just couldnt get it done kobe earned those shaq and everybody helped but nobody earns the championship by them self. Took kobe 3 years to get it done took lebron 9 plus to team up wit wade and bosh hes nothing close to a kobe bryant nor will lebron ever be

It’s pretty obvious Lebron has more talent than Charles. I don’t like Lebron’s style of play and the way he handles some things, but if he continues to be this good, than he’ll be in that top list for sure. He dominates the league at the moment like only a handfull players have done before him (Bird, Magic, Shaq, Wilt, Erving). None of those players are called Charles, Reggie, Drexler, Malone, Stockton or Wade. I’m sure Charles would agree that Lebron is probably gonna have a better carreer than him, and Wade already told that he thinks Lebron is a better player than him.

I think the most amazing thing is how he only has 1 MVP (2 if you count the one Steve Nash is holding). There was an article written that stated that years from now people will look back at the books and see Kobe Bryant and all he accomplished only to be puzzled by this fact. It’s truly amazing what he has accomplished during his career despite only having one MVP. Another amazing thing is that a lot of people compare others to Jordan yet Jordan himself stated, “Kobe’s the only one to have done the work, to deserve comparison.” No one person can out score a team. He did it. No one person can take a team to the playoffs he did it with a very mediocre supporting cast. He did it.

As Fran Blinebury stated: Defiant. With or without multi-MVPs and other awards, he will go down to in basketball history as the one who defied all basketball logic.

kobe bryant is simply the best player today! he cant beat whoever he wants to ! he will go down as the greatest to ever play tis game no doubt about it . Appreciate his game until its done. you`re seeing the exact game as jordan. hes simply amazing

… and that’s exactly why he’ll always be 2nd to Jordan … he’s duplicating what someone else already did (except for the 81pts and the 3’s record), and i give him props because no one else has come closer to Air. To me the main thing that keeps him behind Jordan is the fact that Jordan played his entire career without no one else on his team that would get double-teamed, and still dominated like he did.

MJ played with no one else on his team that got double teamed? Kerr, Pipen, Longley, Rodman, and Armstrong were double teamed all the time. If it wasnt for those 5 names Jordan would have been another Melo. A great player that will never do anything.

everbody always talks about him being a ball hog. so wut say ye about the top points list players? are they ball hogs too? jordan played 2 years less and has 2000 points more, nobody talks about him like that. go figure. i like kobe, hes a great player. and he can sure kick some butt.

On a greatest of all time all star team he is definitely a starter if Jordan is on one team he is on the other
it truly would have been amazing if these 2 greats played at the same time the match ups would have been of epic proportions
and as great as jordan was i doubt he would have dominated the say he did in today’s NBA a time where every single aspect of your game is dissected and every weakness exposed
also now days there are so many great players just looking at future hall of famers kobe, garnett, ray allen, pierce, nash, duncan, kidd, and players like durrant, wade, lebron, westbrook etc will be hall of famers one day
there are just so many great players in the league now days and only those who can adapt survive
kobe did tht he transformed into a shooter because he knew that’s what he had to do to prolong his career he is the YOUNGEST EVER to reach 30,000 even with all the milage of the regular season and the long playoffs every year as well as the Olympics and international tournaments its a testament to his stubbornness
and all the injuries he played with as long as he could walk he would be out there on the court and even at his age he logs huge minutes like last year when he was 4th in the league at minutes per game even though he had an injury in his shooting hand

people like to nitpick but the truth is no one is perfect neither was Jordan, he was not a better shooter than Kobe, Kobe can score from anywhere on the floor and is always a threat even now leading the league in ppg

P.S not hating on Jordan he is one of my favourite players of all time and Kobe would not be Kobe without him
But also lets not forget The Great Jordan himself said that Kobe is the only person who comes close to matching him and there was a time when to him Kobe was the Best player on the Planet

First of all, gratz to Kobe. Both players had the best coach of all time, so they had an advantage in winnig championships. But I’m sure that Jordan wouldn’t have had 6 rings if he played the finals 3 years in a row vs the Lakers with Shaq and Kobe… no way. Both are top 10 players like Bird, Magic, Erving, Robertson, Russell, Jabbar… u can’t put em higher than them, because there’s no way of comparing.

Technically Jordan and Kobe did play against eachother. But I do think Kobe is better. Kobe has logged way more minutes, and is still in excellent shape. He has constantly changed up his game and always is improving. 27.9 ppg this season and Durant is 10 years younger…. Kobe almost never gets proper credit and it is sad. He has always come up big…. And did things many all time greats never did.

lol u shouldnt even compare Kobe to Jordan,they both have great all around skills but scoring wise its not even close, MJs career average is 35ppg 50% points(excluding his wizard years) Kobe is 25ppg 45%, MJ is the greatest scorer ever by far.

Jordan&kobe r my 2 favz in Jordan’s era it was a more physical game(bad boys)but Kobe has started in that era so he has heart&drive he’s a throw back I watched every single bulls game mj is was and will Always be the standard and unless you’ve witnessed both please understand you really dont have a clue. Every off season mj added to his game(shooting,muscle etc.)he played against the greatest era(great teams not just players) do Your research 1.mj 2.mamba

The 90’s were a great era too…Jordan, Olajuwon, Barkley, Shaq, Miller, Drexler, Wilkins, Malone, Kemp, Robinson, Ewing, Pippen and still Magic and Bird. All Hall of Famers! My all-time top 10 is already half full with these names!!

The kids of today diregard the past too much.

This is about all-time legacy, and as for now, only 2 players of that list could have a crack on the top 10, Kobe and LBJ.

@Face The Facts…. Yes the 90’s was a great period in the league, but look at your list of players, do you notice how most of them are BIGS??? That’s because of the era he played in is why he is put so high above everyone else. Before Jordan all of the best players were 6’10” and up…. Look at the 92 Dreamteam. Now I’m not saying that there were no other stars at the guards positions, what I’m saying is that he was the BEST out of all the guards and he took over games the way bigger players did. In my opinion both of them are THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME. Jordan was the better athlete, but Kobe was better skilled.
Offensively Kobe is the best hands down. Kobe was the best at every aspect of offense. Threes, mid range, post play, dunks, layups….. You name it he did it. HE IS THE ALL TIME SCORING LEADER IN THE ALL STAR GAME…… So when the best is on the floor, he plays at his best. Since Madison Square Garden is the most talked about arena he has the most points scored there and Jordan had many more opportunities to score higher then that. Defense the edge goes to Jordan, and it’s a slight edge. Jordan had more physical gifts then Kobe, and winning DPOY will give you an edge. They both were leaders. Jordan had more regular season success, but Kobe had more playoff success. Going to the finals is no easy task, but Kobe managed to be there 7 times, too bad he could only win 5, but that was not his fault. So if offense goes to Kobe and defense goes to Jordan how can anyone say that one is better then the other. I’m sure some people will try to argue that Jordan was better offensively, but NO HELL NO. Yes Jordan had a higher field goal percentage, but he didn’t shoot to much, and when he did it was mid range. How can you be a better offensive player if you cant score in every aspect. You can back off of Jordan until he gets to the mid range. You have to be on Kobe the minute he gets that ball or else its HAND DOWN MAN DOWN!!!! All in all before Kobe came around the answer for who was the greatest of time was a universal answer….. Jordan. After Kobe came that answer is not so cut and dry. Nobody ever said that Shaq, Magic, Duncan, Hakeem, Barkley, Drexler,or anybody else for that matter was the greatest, maybe you can say that for their position, but not overall. You ask the question and you will get two answers…… Either Kobe, or Jordan. What argument can you make that CLEARLY show that Jordan was better. Defense is his best ally, but barely. All Kobe need is to be named to one of the all defensive teams one more time and that will be a record for the most all defensive team nods.

some of u talk like he is the GOAT. i disagree. he is probably top 10 or top 5 not goat. JORDAN is the GOAT, not Kobe or Lebron. Even if those 3 are the same in physical talent ability, no one has will and leadership of MJ. you all keep saying MJ had Pippen, so what’s the different Kobe had Pau or LBJ has wade. the different is JORDAN made Pippen. Jordan pushed Pippen hard to become a superstar. kobe never did with Brown or Parker to become his Pippen (anyone who know NBA know that they had potentials) same case for Lebron in Gibson and Hikson. they had to joined with other ready made stars. so both of them are not gonna be GOAT for me. in my opinion LBJ > kobe (and i hate LBJ) just because even though they are in same talent LBJ is more gifted in physical. if i am gonna can pick anyone to start my team it will be like

MJ made Pippen are you serious? Why doe’s MJ get the credit for Pippen becoming a great player? How come Pippen just cant get credit for working hard on his own just like Kobe does. And That MJ making him better and Lebron and Kobe not making Gibson and parker and brown not better is a stupid comment. It doesn’t matter if MJ played with them or not they would still be the exact same. And Didn’t Kwame Brown play with MJ and what happend there? Stop Hating on the Mamba and give him his props. Just about eveyone played college ball before they got to the pros so it’s not like they dont know the game.

True, MJ struggled to lead without Pippen, otherwise, he’d never win a ring. But part of it was because of Isaiah ‘Babyface’ Thomas. Lebron was capable of leading a Cavaliers team that had scrubs other than Hughes, O’Neal, and Jamison.

kobe can hang his hat on the fact that he’s gotten hotter in an nba game than any other player has other than wilt. but mj was still better – scored with less dribbles, which facilitated better team chemistry and ultimately winning. mj was a better leader too.

I think alot of these writers are looking at present kobe (17 years into the league) instead of his Overall Career…. The man still holds the record for 12 3-pointers in a game, 9-9 3-pointers in a game, he OUTSCORED an entire team in 3 qtrs 62-61… 81 points… countless of game winners.. unbelievable comebacks… has won just about every award worth winning (there’s soo much more) and has done this all with the daunting task of being better then the best whose ever done it… I can’t remember another player who has embraced the challenge as much as kobe has…

What makes kobe so amazing is he got this far through hard work… He doesn’t have the height and length of Kevin durant.. the size of LeBron.. doesn’t have hands like MJ did.. and besides his incredible highschool career and everyone in search for “the next MJ,” he really wasn’t ever suppose to be in the discussion of one of the all time greats… He wasn’t drafter #1 .. he was drafted #13

What makes someone and all time great isn’t only the championships and awards… It’s the STORY!!!! .. it’s the perceiverence.. it’s having everything… ( Shaq payton malone phil jackson) then LOSING it all … watching shaq win a championship without you… while your struggling to make the playoffs and watching the league prepare for a new era ( melo bron)… just to say STOP… IM NOT DONE YET … and rebuild and fight and earn everything back… and in the process watch people who were destined for greater fall in comparison to you…
THAT’S GREAT NESS …
Reading some of these writers speak about kobe as if he was clyde drexler, just in the conversation of being compared to mj, put on amazing performances but just not good enough, is an OUTRAGE…
Kobe has overcome it all and deserves to be in your top 2

Kobe top 2, and greatest scorer ever. wilt plaued before the 3 second rule and everything. he maches.jordan with 5 60point games with time to get another one. you cant just talk about him like a larry bird or reggie miller. kobe 2 years nefore his best was. better than lebron will ever be.

This is by far the BEST comment on Kobe I’ve ever read! I hope more people can read this. Absolutly spot on!

One thing I’d like to add though, people are always comparing him to MJ, and that’s where the problem is. If people can just look at Kobe and his acheivements alone without comparing it to anyone, maybe more people will realize the true greatness he brought to the game.

Most great players comes from a background of being poor, coming from the getto with something to prove. But this man came from a privileged family and without worries. Iit is his pure determination, hard work, and overwhelming confidence that drives him.

Outstanding post! And to your points, the only things in my mind that separates their games is Kobe’s a more mid-range to 3pt range player whereas MJ had more of a post to mid-range game. The hands, if you ever remember Kobe being asked,is the one element he wishes that he had; which was the ability to palm the ball with ease like His Airness or Dr. J, which was a huge advantage that Jordan had that Kobe did not. Jordan is still the GOAT, but Kobe is closer than anyone that I’ve seen. Jordan came into the league and was much maligned his first few years in the league for his score-first mentality and style of play, but eventually earned the respect from the media, critics and other naysayers once he got his first chip. Kobe, on the other hand, has always had to overcome the adversity of criticism and not being the media darling that Michael became in the latter part of his career. His highlights and accomplishments are no where near close to being highly cherished and coveted the way MJ’s are. The funny thing about that is, that most of Kobe’s highlights are equally, or some even more spectacular than Michael’s (other than MJ’s dunk contest montage.)

Best way to Summarize Kobe’s story and legacy. I felt the same way you did when reading the comments of these writers. Kobe is not MJ but the closest to him we have ever seen. Lets not a judge a legacy of a man incomparison to another.. lets just look at his story alone and see what he has accomplished in his career.

I should like to echo others’ comments on how perceptive and accurate Gemineye’s view of Kobe’s greatness is. It puts the finger on a dimension of greatness which is not to do with either A) natural talent or B) hard work. We may admire players who are naturally extremely gifted (Jordan was like that and so is Lebron/Durant). We also admire players who improve themselves through constant practice (e.g. stay behind after practice to improve one’s shot or spend extra time at the gym). But Kobe’s greatness consists in two additional features that MJ did not have: C) Kobe studied, adopted and developed ways of scoring (i.e. basketball intelligence) that did not come natural to him. In a way, ‘copying MJ’ was more difficult than being MJ; D) Kobe developed this unbelievable basketball intelligence driven by sheer determination to outperform everybody, even in the face of great adversity (Shaq rivalry, poor teammates, the crime allegation, now age). Basketball intelligence which was developed and perfect out of sheer determination makes Kobe the best of all times.

Every era have a player who will stand above all others..Kobe is one of them..LeBron’s time is now and later..who knows. Instead of hating people should appreciate every great player. I’m Kobe fan but i still get up in the middle of the night to watch LBJ and Heat. Recognize greatness.

Kobe on a skill level tops everyone in the history of the nba. Jordan falls way short when it comes to skill/talent. When kobe firstn came into the league… Dude’s crossovers were lightning quick. Kobe’s first-step was by far the fastest/quickest, the baseline dunks from the highpost on doug christie, bruce bowen, sprewell..etc were amazing! ABSOLUTELY NO ONE CAN MIRRIOR kobe…because it consists of SKILLS… not basic basketball like jordan… crossovers, hesitation dribbles.. People like Jordan cuz he played more of a team game…BUT SKILL WISE..JORDAN FALLS WAAAY SHORT OF THE BLACK MAMBA… just admit it haters!!!

Based on your statement, it is jordan who made kobe. Therefore it is dr.j and oscar robertson who made jordan. It is not where they took their playing style…it is how they played the style that they learned. That is what made kobe above all. Some people are just being carried by the respect jordan has. Some of jordan’s fans these days didn’t really see him playing. They just saw the highlights and the final games replay of jordan not the daily games of kobe today where they see kobe’s turnovers. They just saw jordan’s good games not the bad games. If there was an internent before and the dirty media like we have today, i don’t think jordan will have the respect that he is having right now.

I think the only thing about Kobe that is better then Jordan is his 3pt shooting and post footwork, Kobe is lethal from 3 and every time Jordan took one you were relieved because he could have easily gotten to the basket got fouled and finished through the contact. Jordan was the better post up guard because he was just more physical where as Kobe was more methodical and would just beat you with the basics. I gotta give everything else to Jordan who was at 6’5″ 226lbs with a 48″ vert was a super athletic. Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. MJ was talent and Kobe was hard work, to bad for Kobe that MJ was a hard worker too.

i am not kobe’s fan but i agree with you. how i wish there’s also highlights of jordan’s bad games. but so sad we only always see his good games that they are comparing to kobe bryant. kobe is even compared to today to some players on their prime not kobe during his prime.

Jordan returned nearly aged 40 and played for the Wizards still averaged 20+PPG 6RPG and 5RPG against players like KG, Iverson, Vince Carter, Dirk, Nash etc all in their primes or younger. Spare me. Do some research.

Before Kobe was dunking on guards like bruce bown and doug christie, Jordan was dunking on centers like Dikembe Mutombo.

And don’t get this discussion mixed up. If we’re talking skill level, from a dunking standpoint, vince carter is the best. From a difficulty standpoint, larry bird was the best. From a ball handling stand point, you have magic johnson, isiah thomas, allen iverson.

This conversation is from a pure scoring standpoint. Stats don’t lie. I’m not a big fan of Kobe, but he’s the second best scorer ever to play the game hands down. He is equivalent to the best scorer btw (yes, he is the equivalent of jordan), BUT he came after jordan, and he didn’t do better (at best I can give you equal), that’s why he is second.

Hi. Just remember his playing since 18 years old, and when play offs has more games. possible he gonna play for 20 years end still have 38…ovbiesly whit that time gonna break records…just for the time.

if you remember the first two years Jordan juice almost anything, due to injury, and played after two withdrawals of 4 ½ years, played a total of two years by removing the injury just 15 years total with 40, and it was amazing … do not forget that. At her age Coby, Jordan began the road to his 2 MVP, 3MVP FINAL, 3 … 3 scorer championchips CHAMPIONSHIPS … looked amazing … better than ever …

He just gave the reason, why Kobe was able to do so many points and made an comparison why one better player wasn’t able to do that. I can suppose than he wanted to say, that Kobe cannot be better than MJ, although he made history on points and I totally agree with that.

You can’t really compare like that. I agree that numbers of playoff games are different for each era, but please be noted that these 30k points are non-playoff points… They play in different era, don’t forget that Kobe’s era has two shortened season, so you can argue players who play as Kobe’s contemporary (such as Allen Iverson and etc) forced to miss out games. Kobe is not the only one drafted out of high school and why others can’t do it? Names like Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O’Neal, KWAME BROWN and etc…., Oh Ya!!! Don’t forget that LeBron James on other hand is wiping Kobe’s record too

First of all, LBJ, Durant, Wade, Westbrook, Garnet, Pau Gasol, Duncan, Carmelo….are overll much better players than Kobe. OK, Kobe is good scorer, over ambitios, but that is all. Guy does not understand a game of basketball, especially that it is not just scorring, that is team game, with a lot of defense and responsability, especially in shot selection. to say that he is the best ever, it means you know nothing about the basketball. He was never even the best in Lakers, Shaq and Gasol were better players than he was in those 5 rings.

So because Kobe didnt retire and come back and hasnt had injury problems this doesnt make him as great? He was smart, hes remained fit and healthy for the league and did all the smart things to keep his career going. Hes earnt every point hes ever scored, he plays both great D and O which puts him in my top 5. He may not be as great as MJ but he sure is close :)

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